Approaching Urban Flood Modelling According to Available Data: A State‐of‐the‐Art Review and Future Challenges

Urban flood modelling allows for developing effective strategies for mitigating flood risks and improving urban resilience. Different urban models can be selected according to the desired objective, ranging from simplified frameworks to more sophisticated numerical models. While several studies explored the advantages and limitations of existing model types, very few publications address the urban flood modelling issue based on data availability and data collection. Urban data regarding digital elevation models, sewer networks, and small-scale features can vary significantly. Thus, the availability and resolution of available data strongly influence urban flood modelling. This study reviews existing approaches to achieve satisfactory urban flood modelling according to the available data and desired objectives. We explored the advantages and limitations of data-rich environments and the benefits of the simplifications. We identified two primary objectives most concerned with ongoing urban flood simulation research: flood modelling for preliminary flood susceptibility assessment and flood hazard mapping. For each category, we investigated how previous authors approached data collection tasks and which resolution they considered sufficiently high to retain their objectives achieved. This study provides valuable guidance for scientists, engineers, and decision-makers, promoting a more informed and mindful approach to urban flood modelling.